Side expansion scroll-type blowers

ABSTRACT

An expanding scroll-type blower unit with a fan wheel which discharges air peripherally from an encasing housing and has axial air intakes is provided with sides diverging toward an exit opening that is parallel to the blower axis, and two such blower units are arranged side by side in axially alignment with a motor therebetween operatively connected to both wheels.

nited States Patent Tucker 1 1 Dec. 24, 1974 [54] SIDE EXPANSION SCROLL-TYPE 3,407,995 10/1968 Kinsworthy 415/97 BLOWERS 3,480,202 11/1969 Stephenson 415/98 3,780,411 12/1973 Bulin 415 219 0 [75] Inventor: Carl L. Tucker, Baskingridge, NJ.

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS [73] Asslgnee: a"; New York 100,770 12/1923 Switzerland .1 415 219 c [22] Filed: Oct. 24, 1973 Primary Examiner-Carlton R. Croyle Assistant Examiner-Louis L. Casaregola [2]] Appl' 409l08 Attorney, Agent, or FirmRobert E. Smith; Edward L.

Bell; William V. Ebs [52] U.S. Cl 415/219, 415/98, 415/206 [51] Int. Cl. F01d 25/24, F04d 24/40, F04d 29/44 57] S R CT [58] Field 0f4Search 415/54, 86, 87, 219 C, An expanding scroll type blower unit with a fan whee] 15/98 416/178 187 which discharges air peripherally from an encasing [56] References Cited housing and has axial air intakes is provided with sides diverging toward an exit opening that is parallel to the UNITED STATES PATENTS blower axis, and two such blower units are arranged 1,906,533 5/1933 Burke 415/99 side by side in axially alignment with a motor therebe- 2,290,423 7/1942 Funk 4l5/l5l tween operatively connected to both wheels, 2,710,573 6/1955 Marker 98/43 3,098,603 7/1963 Baker 415 219 0 4 Claims, 3 Drawing Flgures SIDE EXPANSION SCROLL-TYPE BLOWERS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The invention relates to air handling apparatus and more particularly is directed to scroll-type blowers.

2. Description of the Prior Art Blowers having a fan wheel rotatively mounted in a scroll-type housing with axial air inlets and an outlet parallel to the axis of rotation are well known, examples of such blowers being shown, for example, in US. Pat. Nos. 2,290,423; 2,569,646; 2,710,573 and 3,098,603.

In the usual expanding scroll-type blower, end surfaces of the blower housing are parallel and distances between the axis of the blower fan and surrounding scroll-like surface of the housing increase at a constant rate with angular rotation in the direction of air discharge. In such blowers, the only way in which the space between the fan and surrounding scroll-like surface may be increased to provide for additional air flow is to increase the rate at which the dimensions between the fan and scroll-like surface increase. The result is that in the case of any particular blower designed to deliver 21 specific quantity of air in a certain time, the dimensions of the unit may be such that it cannot be readily fitted into available space or it may not be suited to the particular use for which it is intended. Also, when two such blowers are used in parallel, it is necessary to keep them far enough apart so that air may enter adjacent axial inlet passages unrestricted and this results in a highly localized air velocity pattern at the blower exits leaving the blowers with zero or negative velocity between the units.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The blower of the invention by reason of a special configuration, possesses various advantages over the blowers of the prior art. In accordance with the invention an expanding scroll-type blower having axial inlets and a fan from which air is peripherally expelled is provided with sides which diverge toward an exit opening that is parallel to the blower axis, and in a particularly desirable arrangement two such blowers are axially aligned and both fans are connected to a single driving unit which is situated between the blower housings.

It is an object of the invention to increase the output of an expanded scroll-type blower without increasing the average axial length of the unit or increasing dis tances between the blower fan and surrounding scrolllike surface.

It is another object of the invention to provide expanded scroll-type blowers which can be arranged side by side in close relationship without restricting the flow of air into axial inlet passages or resulting in an undesirable output air velocity pattern across the units.

It is still another object of the invention to provide expanded scroll-type blowers which can be arranged side by side and will nicely accommodate a driving unit between axial inlet openings in a minimum amount of space for cooling by air drawn into the blower units.

Still other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent hereafter.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic perspective view showing a scroll-type blower unit constructed according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view showing two blowers according to the invention connected to a single driving unit situated between the blower housings;

FIG. 3 is a reduced-scale top view of the blowers and driving unit illustrated in FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, reference character 10 designates a blower according to the invention including a housing 12, a fan 14 rotatable within the housing, axial inlet openings 16 and 18, and an outlet opening 20 extending parallel to the axis of the blower as defined by the axis of the fan. The fan 14 is ofa centrifugal type having fan blades 22 which are affixed at opposite ends in rings 24 and 25. A center support plate 28 for the fan blades includes a hub 30 to which a drive shaft 32 is attached as by set screw 34. The fan 14 is rotated by a motor 36 connected to the shaft 32. Bearings in the motor rotatably support the fan although alternatively bearings may be provided in the housing 12 around the rings 24 and 25 for this purpose.

The blower 10 is of an expanding scroll-type in that the housing 12 includes surface 38 which extends in the form ofa spiral around the fan 14 to outlet opening 20. The housing 12 also includes planar side surfaces 40 and 42 which are at opposite ends of the spirally extending surface 38 and diverge toward the exit opening 20 of the blower. The side surfaces 40 and 42 include the axial openings 16 and 18 respectively mentioned hereinbefore. Air enters the housing 12 through such axial openings when fan 14 is rotated by the motor 36. The air flows to the fan through an inlet duct 43 communicating with opening 16, and through another like duct communicating with opening 18. The fan acting upon the air flowing into the blower discharges such air peripherally into that portion of the housing which surrounds the fan and the air is ultimately expelled at high velocity through outlet opening 20.

In FIGS. 2 and 3, two blowers 44 and 46 generally similar to the blower 10 already described are shown in an assembly 47 wherein the configuration of the blower of the invention is used to maximum advantage. The blowers 44 and 46 are of a different hand in that their drive shafts, designated by reference characters 48 and 50 respectively, extend from different ends of the units. A single motor 52 between the blowers connects with both drive shafts. As shown, drive shaft 48 is affixed to a fan 54 which operates within housing 56 of blower 44, and drive shaft 50 is affixed to a fan 58 which operates within housing 60 of blower 46. Housings 56'and 60 of blowers 44 and 46 correspond in configuration to the housing of blower 10. The housing 56 of blower 44 includes air inlet ducts 62 and 64 between the fan 54 and the inlet openings 63 and 65 respectively, whereas the housing 60 of blower 46 includes air inlet openings 68 and 70 between the fan 58 and inlet openings 69 and 71. Motor 52 is supported from a frame 72 which is secured as by welding to the blower housings 56 and 60 and defines outlet openings 74 and 76 respectively.

While the invention has been described in its preferred form, it is to be understood that the words which have been used are words of description rather than of limitation, and that changes within the purview of the appended claims may be made without departing from the true scope and spirit of the invention.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention what is claimed herein is:

l. A blower unit comprising a fan wheel from which air is discharged peripherally, and a housing for said wheel including sloping side surfaces between which the wheel is wholly located, the side surfaces including openings through which air enters the housing, said housing also including ducting between the openings in the side wall and fan wheel through which the inlet air may flow to the wheel in directions generally parallel to the axis of said wheel and including a surface between the side surfaces extending in the form of a spiral about the wheel to an opening from which air moved by the wheel may be expelled, said side surfaces extending in directions diverging toward the exit opening.

4. In combination, a pair of blower units each as defined in claim 1 with the axes of the blower wheels in alignment and motor means between adjacent side walls of the units operatively connected to the wheels for simultaneously driving said wheels. 

1. A blower unit comprising a fan wheel from which air is discharged peripherally, and a housing for said wheel including sloping side surfaces between which the wheel is wholly located, the side surfaces including openings through which air enters the housing, said housing also including ducting between the openings in the side wall and fan wheel through which the inlet air may flow to the wheel in directions generally parallel to the axis of said wheel and including a surface between the side surfaces extending in the form of a spiral about the wheel to an opening from which air moved by the wheel may be expelled, said side surfaces extending in directions diverging toward the exit opening.
 2. The combination of claim 1 wherein the side surfaces are planar and the openings therein, of which there is one in each side surface, are circular.
 3. The combination of claim 2 wherein the centers of said circular openings are on the axis of the fan wheel.
 4. In combination, a pair of blower units each as defined in claim 1 with the axes of the blower wheels in alignment and motor means between adjacent side walls of the units operatively connected to the wheels for simultaneously driving said wheels. 